Christian Bethancourt

Defensively, Bethancourt is major-league ready, but he did not take the leap forward, offensively, that the Braves were hoping he would in 2014. That's not to say he was awful with the bat, as he hit ...

Heralded for his rocket arm and athleticism behind the plate, Bethancourt took a significant step forward at the dish last season. In 90 games with Double-A Mississippi, he hit .277/.305/.436 with 12 homers and 11 steals, after slashing just .243/.275/.291 at the same level in 2012. Concerns remain, however, about Bethancourt's lack of plate discipline, as he drew just 16 walks in 388 plate appearances in 2013, but he did show some improvement in the second half, with a .329 on-base percentage over his final 39 games. The 22-year-old will likely need to show continued improvement in the minor leagues before being considered for a promotion, but with Brian McCann now out of Atlanta, it's possible he could get the call sooner than expected, if Evan Gattis struggles defensively, or if there is an injury to Gattis, Gerald Laird, or Ryan Doumit.

2013

Bethancourt has the potential to be one of the top catching prospects in the game. His defense has been vaunted and is already at a major league level. His bat, on the other hand, still has some catching up to do. After being signed at 16, the now 21-year-old Bethancourt has played five minor league seasons with just a .656 career OPS and a poor eye at the plate. He has potential to be a good power hitter and possesses above-average speed for a catcher. Now with a 40-man roster spot, Bethancourt could open the season as a temporary backup to Gerald Laird while Brian McCann works his way back from knee surgery. It's likely that he'll spend most of 2013 back at Double-A Mississippi.

2012

Bethancourt could be Atlanta's top hitting prospect after a breakout season. After hitting .303/.323/.430 at Low-A Rome, Bethancourt held his own at High-A Lynchburg by hitting .271/.277/.325 at age 19. While his numbers were not overly impressive at the plate, he was young for High-A and is seen as a strong, albeit raw, defensive catcher. He then hit .306/.324/.556 in the Arizona Fall League, which impressed many observers considering the tougher competition. However, he'll need to show more patience at the plate (just 13 walks in 459 at-bats between the minors and AFL) to become an elite prospect. He'll likely begin the season at High-A again, but a strong first half could put him on the fast track to the majors.